The Untold Truth of Mary Magdalene

Contents

Foreword
Introduction
part 1

Mary Magdalene in the New Testament Gospels

1 The Woman from Magdala
Who Was Mary Magdalene
A Flourishing Corrupt Magdala
Mary Magdalene Receives a Divine Healing
Jesus the Christ
Following Jesus
Mary Magdalene's Female Companions
A Woman of Independent Means
Could She Claim Royal Lineage?

2 For the Love of Jesus
Leader, Follower, Friend and Confidante
Witness to the Resurrection
Vigil with Mother Mary and John
First Witness and Commission from Jesus
Apostle to the Apostles

3 Jesus' Other Loyal Followers
Mary Mother of Jesus
John the Baptist
The Apostle Peter
The Apostle Paul
The Last Apostle

4 Influential People in Early Christianity
Flavius Josephus
Marcion
Clement of Alexandria
Origen
Arius
Eusebius of Caesarea
Diocletian
The Apologists
Domitian
Constantine

5 Mary Magadalene's First-Century World
Turbulent Times
Diversity Within Judaism
Roman Law Versus Mosaic Law
A Woman's Place in Society
Roman Treatment of Women and Children
Jesus' Radical Shifting of Status Quo
Challenging the Patriarchy

6 Mary Magadalene's Life Begins Anew
After the Resurrection
Patriarchal Entrenchment
Paul's Letters Reveal Early Struggles
Women Leadership Roles
The Importance of Apostolic Succession
Misogyny and Patriarchal Restrictions

7 Mary Magadalene in Legend
Danger of Persecution
Fleeing the Hly Land
Mary Magadalene and John on [of] Ephesus
Arriving on the Shore of Gaul
Proselytizing to the Populace
Retreat from the World
Relics and Reliquaries
Icon Veneration

8 Ancestral and Apostolic Seeds are Sown
A Myth is Conceived
A Homily Hurts Mary Magadalene's Reputation
The Church Perpetuates the Myth
Celibate Male Apostolic Succession
The Apostolic Church
Long-Term Consequences for Other Women
Modern Stained-Glass Ceilings

9 Magadalene and the Early Church Crisis
The Struggling Jesus Movement
A Gospel for Pagans and Non-Jews
The Definition for an Apostle Narrows
Differing Views about Women's Church Roles
Oral Tradition before Written Texts
Was Mary Magadalene's Scriptural Presence Diminished?
Presbyters, Bishops and Women in the Early Church
The Orthodox Viewpoint on Women Priests



10 Pivotal Events in Early Christianity
Tumultuous Timeline for Early Christianity
Creating the Vulgate Bible
The Council of Nicaea
Apostle John Writes Revelation
The Death of Stephen
The Great Jewish Revolt
The Siege of Masada

part II
Mary Magadalene in the Gnostic Gospels

11 The Gnostic Veneration of Mary Magadalene
An Untidy Beginning to Christianity
Flourishing of Gnosticism
At Variance with Literalist Christianity
Mary Magadalene in the Gnostic Texts
The Pagan Goddess Cult
Early Christian Fathers Root Out Heresy

12 Rituals and Beliefs of Early Christianity
Almsgiving
Burial
Healing
Conversion
Pilgrimage
The Three Pillars
Christian Holy Seasons and Prayers

13 A women's Gospel
The Manuscript Found in Cairo
Other Pieces of the Gospel of Mary
Six Missing Pages
Peter Invites Mary Magadalene to Teach
Mary Magadalene Shares Her Vision
Where the Truth Is to Be Found
Seven Female Christian Mystics

14 Reactions to Mary Magadalene's Vision
Peter Does No Believe Mary
Levi to the Rescue
Why Peter Denounced Mary Magadalene
Spiritual Adeptness Is More Important than Gender
Make No New Law
Conflicting Attitudes Towards Prophecy
Founding the Church on Peter

15 Mary Magadalene Shines in Other Gnostic Texts
Mary Magadalene in the Inner Circle
Conflict wit Peter
The Ancient Story of Sophia
Examples Predate Christian Scripture
Jesus' Promise to Mary Magadalene

16 Mary Magadalene in the Gospel of John
What's Different about the Fourth Gospel
Questions about the Anonymous Beloved Disciple
Founder and Leader of the Johannine Community
Who Wrote the Gospel of John?
Did Mary Magadalene write the Fourth Gospel?
Suggestions of Redaction

17 Her Place in Esoteric Christianity
A Goddess Archetype
Heavenly Mother
Vesica Piscis--Sacred Feminine
Magadalene in Other Doctrines
The Mystery Traditions and Magadalene's Role
Esoteric references in the Apocrypha

part III
Mary Magadalene in Modern Times

18 Mary Magadalene Through Artist's Eyes
Early Portrayals and Icons of the Magadalene Artist
Renderings During the Middle Ages
Renaissance Depictions of Mary Magadalene Nine-
teenth-Century Symbol of Eros
A Model for Twentieth-Century Artists

19 Under the Scholar's Microscope
Historical Representations of Magadalene
The Magadalene and Unwed Mothers
Feminist Theologians Have Their Say
Male Gender, Status and Power
Strife and Conflict in the Early Church
The Roman Catholic Position
Mary Magadalene Is the Glue

20 Relevance and Resonance for Modern Women

Speaking with Authority and Conviction
Hollywood Offers Its Distorted View
The Da Vinci Code Sparks Heated Debate
Modern Seekers Exchange Ideas
A New Generation Looks Beyond the Myth
Restitution Worldwide
Mary Magadalene Pilgrimage Sites
Diverse Ways She Is Venerated
Recounting Her Many Roles

Appendix A : Glossary:
Appendix B : Web Site Resources
Appendix C : Bibliography